Rumors started swirling fast and furious around Jahlil Okafor and the New Orleans Pelicans a little earlier today, and here’s where it seems to stand now: The Sixers and Pelicans looked like they were headed towards a deal to send Okafor to the Pelicans in exchange for the contract of Alexis Ajinca and a lottery protected first rounder in 2018. The Sixers were asking for the protection to be top-5 or top-10, rather than lottery protected. The Pelicans didn’t want to move on that. The Sixers possibly want the Pelicans to add Jrue Holiday – the first casualty of The Process – in the deal, and things have slowed down for now. And the Pelicans are working the league.

We’ll have more on the potential deal as more maneuvering goes down.